Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-05
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.
Do you think the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
University undergraduation course should include some period to study outside of the country. I also agree with this statements. This type of education has many advantages as well as dis advantages which we will discuss in the following essay.
There are several advantages to study some parts of the course ouside the country. The primary advantage is the explosure that students could get from foreigners. When undergraduates are allowed to study abroad they can understand their culture more deeply according to the courses.For instance,research related to specific topic should be done more accurately on a particular place.
Moreover, the other positive factor is the communication skills they can develop from different cultures. They can learn other languages too which will be helpful in understanding different regions other than studies. Many students exchange programmes are still working in Pakistan between different countries such as Turkey, USA and China.
On the other hand, it has some disadvantages. The main disadvantages during the course is the expense for travell and accommodation. Some universites only allow scholarship related to their tuition fee but students can not bear the other expense which sometimes are very costly for them. However, students sometimes feel homesickness and could not focus on their studies properly. The other drawback is the immigration which should be responsibility of the university. Sometime students left their courses and want to have their residency in the host country which is bad for other students.
To sum up this discussion, i would say that its advantages can outweigh the disadvantages if this placement is through proper rules and regulations. In my opinion ,this would be great opportunity for some students.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The essay addresses the prompt by discussing both advantages and disadvantages and provides a clear position that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, the development of ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the point about 'research related to specific topics' is vague and lacks a clear connection to the benefits of studying abroad. Similarly, the argument regarding immigration is underdeveloped and slightly confusing. To reach a higher band, you should provide more specific, well-explained examples that directly support your main points rather than listing them briefly. The conclusion is present but could be more robust in summarizing the main arguments.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover', 'On the other hand', and 'To sum up', which help the flow of the essay. However, some transitions are mechanical, and the logical progression within paragraphs could be smoother. For example, the jump between discussing communication skills and mentioning student exchange programs in Pakistan is a bit abrupt. Additionally, some referencing is slightly unclear, such as the use of 'which' in the final paragraph, which makes the sentence structure feel a bit repetitive.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing you to express your ideas clearly. You use some topic-specific vocabulary such as 'tuition fee', 'accommodation', and 'exchange programmes'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and spelling mistakes, such as 'undergraduation' (undergraduate), 'explosure' (exposure), and 'travell' (travel). The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited, and you rely on basic phrasing. To improve, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure that you are using the correct word forms to convey your meaning more effectively.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I also agree with this statements' (statement), 'Some universites only allow scholarship' (scholarships), and 'Sometime students left their courses' (Sometimes/have left). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with spacing after commas and periods. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement, pluralization, and basic sentence mechanics will significantly improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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